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Companies with favorable efficiency levels are poised to be on investors’ radar irrespective of market conditions as price performance is believed to be positively correlated with the efficiency level. Efficiency or the company's ability to transform its inputs into outputs is an important measure to determine its financial condition.
Ratios to Evaluate Efficiency Levels
We have considered four popular ratios in order to find efficient companies that have the potential to provide impressive returns.
Inventory Turnover
Inventory level is one of the key indicators of a company’s business health. While a high inventory level may indicate that the company is going through a rough patch in terms of sales, a dwindling level may indicate that the company will run out of stock in a favorable sales condition. This is where inventory turnover comes into play. It is the ratio of 12-month cost of goods sold (COGS) to a 4-quarter average inventory. Thus, a high value of the ratio indicates a low level of inventory relative to COGS, while a low ratio signals that the company has excess inventory.
Receivables Turnover
This ratio is used to measure a company’s capability to extend its credit and collect debts on the basis of that credit. The receivables turnover ratio or the “accounts receivable turnover ratio” or the “debtor’s turnover ratio” is calculated by dividing 12-month sales by four-quarter average receivables. While a high ratio may indicate that the company efficiently collects its accounts receivables or has quality customers, a low ratio may signal that the company has an inefficient collection procedure or has low-quality customers or an inefficient credit policy.
Asset Utilization
This is a widely used measure of a company’s efficiency. Asset utilization indicates a company’s potential to utilize its assets. It is the ratio of total sales over the past 12 months to the last 4-quarter average of total assets. So, the higher the ratio, the greater is the possibility that the company is utilizing its assets efficiently. On the contrary, a low value of the ratio may signal that it is failing to use its assets effectively.
Operating Margin
Another popular efficiency ratio is operating margin. Operating profit margin, which is simply operating income over the past 12 months divided by sales over the same period, indicates how well a company is controlling its operating expenses. If a company has a high operating profit margin in relation to its competitors, it is doing a better job at controlling operating expenses.
All these ratios can be considered as effective measures if one compares different companies within a particular sector or industry. This is the reason why we have considered only those companies that have ratios higher than their respective industry averages.
Screening Parameters
In addition to the above-mentioned ratios, we have added a favorable Zacks Rank – Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) – to the screen with an objective to make this strategy more profitable.
Inventory Turnover, Receivables Turnover, Asset Utilization and Operating Margin greater than industry average: Higher value of these ratios than the industry averages may indicate that the efficiency level of the company is greater than its peers.
The use of these criteria has narrowed down the universe of around 7,887 stocks to only 20. Here are the top five stocks:
Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM – Free Report) is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken, and also preparation, processing, marketing and distribution of processed and minimally prepared chicken. This Zacks Rank #2 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 8.53%.
Heska Corp (NASDAQ: HSKA – Free Report) sells veterinary diagnostic and specialty products. The company operates through two segments: Core Companion Animal Health (CCA) and Other Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and Products (OVP). This Zacks Rank #2 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 67.62%.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VNDA – Free Report) is a biopharmaceutical company. The company is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies to address unmet medical needs. This Zacks Rank #1 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 27.47%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Lantheus Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LNTH – Free Report) is engaged in the development, manufacture and commercialization of diagnostic medical imaging agents and products that assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases. This Zacks Rank #2 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 62.08%.
NVR, Inc. (NYSE: NVR – Free Report) is engaged in the construction and sale of single-family detached homes, townhomes and condominium buildings. This Zacks Rank #1 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 14.19%.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free »
Sign up now for your free trial today and start picking better stocks immediately. And with the backtesting feature, you can test your ideas to see how you can improve your trading in both up markets and down markets. Don’t wait for the market to get better before you decide to do better. Start learning how to be a better trader today: https://at.zacks.com/?id=111
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
About Screen of the Week
Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use. Each week, Zacks Profit from the Pros free email newsletter shares a new screening strategy. Learn more about it here https://at.zacks.com/?id=112
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time!Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Zacks.com featured highlights Sanderson Farm, Heska Corp, Vanda Pharmaceuticals Lantheus and NVR
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 28, 2017 - Stocks in this week’s article include Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: – Free Report), Heska Corp (NASDAQ: – Free Report), Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: (VNDA - Free Report) – Free Report) Lantheus Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: (LNTH - Free Report) – Free Report) and NVR, Inc. (NYSE: NVR – Free Report).
Screen of the Week of Zacks Investment Research:
5 Efficient Stocks to Buy for a Healthy Portfolio
Companies with favorable efficiency levels are poised to be on investors’ radar irrespective of market conditions as price performance is believed to be positively correlated with the efficiency level. Efficiency or the company's ability to transform its inputs into outputs is an important measure to determine its financial condition.
Ratios to Evaluate Efficiency Levels
We have considered four popular ratios in order to find efficient companies that have the potential to provide impressive returns.
Inventory Turnover
Inventory level is one of the key indicators of a company’s business health. While a high inventory level may indicate that the company is going through a rough patch in terms of sales, a dwindling level may indicate that the company will run out of stock in a favorable sales condition. This is where inventory turnover comes into play. It is the ratio of 12-month cost of goods sold (COGS) to a 4-quarter average inventory. Thus, a high value of the ratio indicates a low level of inventory relative to COGS, while a low ratio signals that the company has excess inventory.
Receivables Turnover
This ratio is used to measure a company’s capability to extend its credit and collect debts on the basis of that credit. The receivables turnover ratio or the “accounts receivable turnover ratio” or the “debtor’s turnover ratio” is calculated by dividing 12-month sales by four-quarter average receivables. While a high ratio may indicate that the company efficiently collects its accounts receivables or has quality customers, a low ratio may signal that the company has an inefficient collection procedure or has low-quality customers or an inefficient credit policy.
Asset Utilization
This is a widely used measure of a company’s efficiency. Asset utilization indicates a company’s potential to utilize its assets. It is the ratio of total sales over the past 12 months to the last 4-quarter average of total assets. So, the higher the ratio, the greater is the possibility that the company is utilizing its assets efficiently. On the contrary, a low value of the ratio may signal that it is failing to use its assets effectively.
Operating Margin
Another popular efficiency ratio is operating margin. Operating profit margin, which is simply operating income over the past 12 months divided by sales over the same period, indicates how well a company is controlling its operating expenses. If a company has a high operating profit margin in relation to its competitors, it is doing a better job at controlling operating expenses.
All these ratios can be considered as effective measures if one compares different companies within a particular sector or industry. This is the reason why we have considered only those companies that have ratios higher than their respective industry averages.
Screening Parameters
In addition to the above-mentioned ratios, we have added a favorable Zacks Rank – Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) – to the screen with an objective to make this strategy more profitable.
Inventory Turnover, Receivables Turnover, Asset Utilization and Operating Margin greater than industry average: Higher value of these ratios than the industry averages may indicate that the efficiency level of the company is greater than its peers.
The use of these criteria has narrowed down the universe of around 7,887 stocks to only 20. Here are the top five stocks:
Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ: SAFM – Free Report) is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken, and also preparation, processing, marketing and distribution of processed and minimally prepared chicken. This Zacks Rank #2 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 8.53%.
Heska Corp (NASDAQ: HSKA – Free Report) sells veterinary diagnostic and specialty products. The company operates through two segments: Core Companion Animal Health (CCA) and Other Vaccines, Pharmaceuticals and Products (OVP). This Zacks Rank #2 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 67.62%.
Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (NASDAQ: VNDA – Free Report) is a biopharmaceutical company. The company is focused on the development and commercialization of therapies to address unmet medical needs. This Zacks Rank #1 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 27.47%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Lantheus Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LNTH – Free Report) is engaged in the development, manufacture and commercialization of diagnostic medical imaging agents and products that assist clinicians in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular and other diseases. This Zacks Rank #2 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 62.08%.
NVR, Inc. (NYSE: NVR – Free Report) is engaged in the construction and sale of single-family detached homes, townhomes and condominium buildings. This Zacks Rank #1 company has an average four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 14.19%.
You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.
The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.
Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.
Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free »
Sign up now for your free trial today and start picking better stocks immediately. And with the backtesting feature, you can test your ideas to see how you can improve your trading in both up markets and down markets. Don’t wait for the market to get better before you decide to do better. Start learning how to be a better trader today: https://at.zacks.com/?id=111
Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
About Screen of the Week
Zacks.com created the first and best screening system on the web earning the distinction as the "#1 site for screening stocks" by Money Magazine. But powerful screening tools is just the start. That is why Zacks created the Screen of the Week to highlight profitable stock picking strategies that investors can actively use. Each week, Zacks Profit from the Pros free email newsletter shares a new screening strategy. Learn more about it here https://at.zacks.com/?id=112
About Zacks
Zacks.com is a property of Zacks Investment Research, Inc., which was formed in 1978. The later formation of the Zacks Rank, a proprietary stock picking system; continues to outperform the market by nearly a 3 to 1 margin. The best way to unlock the profitable stock recommendations and market insights of Zacks Investment Research is through our free daily email newsletter; Profit from the Pros. In short, it's your steady flow of Profitable ideas GUARANTEED to be worth your time!Click here for your free subscription to Profit from the Pros.
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Visit: https://www.zacks.com/performance
Zacks.com provides investment resources and informs you of these resources, which you may choose to use in making your own investment decisions. Zacks is providing information on this resource to you subject to the Zacks "Terms and Conditions of Service" disclaimer. www.zacks.com/disclaimer.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.